NBA nails players with unfair labor charge

Taking a page from the National Football League and its protracted labor dispute with its players’ union, the National Basketball Association today decided to step up and take control of the headlines recently devoted to endless professional sports drama.

According to the NBA’s official release, the unfair labor practice charge claims the NBPA has failed to bargain in good faith because of unlawful threats to commence a sham "decertification" and an antitrust lawsuit challenging the NBA's lockout. The federal lawsuit, however, is an attempt to establish that the lockout doesn’t violate federal antitrust laws, and that if the NBPA’s “decertification” were to be ruled lawful, all existing player contracts would become void and unenforceable.

"These claims were filed in an effort to eliminate the use of impermissible pressure tactics by the union which are impeding the parties' ability to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement," said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Adam Silver in the statement. "For the parties to reach agreement on a new CBA, the union must commit to the collective bargaining process fully and in good faith."

While the situation is eerily similar to the NFL’s labor situation, the tactics are completely opposite. During the NFL’s labor struggle, it was the players who looked to litigate whereas the owners wanted to broker an agreement at the negotiating table. This time around, however, having learned from the NFL’s situation, the NBA is the party that has come out swinging, and filed suits against the players’ union.